Don’t Take All the Chocolates

by Kathy Howard

The young girl intended to take every chocolate-covered caramel on the platter and put it on her plate. I watched her transfer at least six before I could stand it no longer. Reaching out, I grabbed her wrist on its way back to the platter and said, “I think that’s plenty for now.” My daughter, who hosted the Christmas party, stood close by. She quietly said, “It’s fine. Leave it up to her mother.”

I didn’t see her mother. I had lots of mothering experience, but I didn’t say anything else to the girl. However, as she turned away from the counter with her towering plate, her mother approached. Spotting the tall pile of chocolates, she scolded her daughter. You will not eat all of those! Did you leave any for other people?” Okay, her mother was on the job after all.

Discipline is one of the primary responsibilities of a parent. We’ve all seen children whose parents have obviously shirked that responsibility. They are not doing their children – or the rest of humanity – any favors! Discipline is necessary for a child to grow into a fully functioning, law-abiding, productive adult. We all need discipline from our parents, but we need spiritual discipline from our heavenly Father even more.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11 ESV

The verb translated as “discipline” in the ESV is the Greek word paideuõ. According to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, it carries the ideas of both correction and training. God’s discipline in the lives of His children corrects wrong behavior and prepares and equips us for the future. 

Why does God bother with discipline? He has purposes and plans for us. First, God purposes for His children to be like Jesus (Romans 8:29). He uses the fire of trails and difficulties to burn away impurities and make us holy (1 Peter 1:6-7). Second, God wants to make us useful for the kingdom work He has planned for each of us (Ephesians 2:10).

The author of Hebrews wanted his original audience to know that while God’s discipline is not pleasant, it is both good and necessary. They had faced some persecution, but had not yet died for their faith (Hebrews 12:4). However, assuming that Hebrews was written to Christians in Rome in the early 60’s, that would soon change. Not long after the letter was written, the persecution increased drastically under Emperor Nero and martyrdom became widespread. The audience needed a proper perspective on persecution to faithfully persevere to the end.

Believers today need the same perspective. God values our character and holiness far more than our physical comfort. He allows difficulties and persecution into our lives so He can use them as tools to refine our faith and shape our character. This truth is all over Scripture. (See James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 1:6-7, and Romans 5:3-5 for more examples.) Thankfully, God never wastes any hardship He allows. We may not understand it all, but we can always trust that God will use it for our benefit and His ultimate glory.

This post was adapted from Kathy’s new devotional book “Deep Rooted: Growing through the Book of Hebrews.”

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Kathy Howard is a treasure hunter. She hunts for the creamiest chocolate, richest coffee, and cherished stories of faith. She also digs deep into Scripture, mining God’s eternal truths. Kathy has a Masters in Christian Education and has taught the Bible for more than 30 years in a wide variety of venues. Kathy is the author of 14 books, including “Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith” and the “meaty” devotional series “Deep Rooted.” Kathy and her husband live in north Texas. They have three married children and six grandchildren. Find free discipleship resources at www.KathyHoward.org.

Are you spiritually exhausted? Following Jesus can be hard. Discouragement, difficulties, and defeat often wear us down. This 40-day devotional journey provides encouragement to run our race of faith with endurance and reminds us that our Savior is far superior to anything and everything the world can offer. Like the rest of the Deep Rooted devotional series, the Hebrews volume uses the 4-R Bible study framework to help you learn how to interact with and respond to Scripture. These meaty, daily devotions will increase your hunger for God’s Word, encourage spiritual growth and stability, and lay the groundwork for a life-long, spiritually-healthy habit.

Join the conversation: Has discipline from the Lord been instructive in your relationship with Him?